FUSION recap for July 6, 2018

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It was a huge show tonight on FUSION as we head toward the Battle Riot. For the first time in 20 years, a Boiler Room Brawl settled the score between a pair of grapplers, as MVP and “Worldwide Desperado” Sami Callihan battled all over the building.

In addition, Team Filthy matched up with the newly-formed team of Rich Swann and ACH. We also heard from World Heavyweight Champion Shane “Swerve” Strickland and saw Low Ki in a tune-up for his attempt to win gold and cash in on Salina de la Renta’s $60,000 bounty on the champion.

ACH & Rich Swann defeated Team FilthyTeam Filthy seems to be alienating the entire MLW roster. They’ve beaten down Jimmy Havoc, defiled Col. Robert Parker’s iconic hat and poked fun at many others. After “Filthy” Tom Lawlor ran his mouth while on commentary during a recent ACH vs. Rich Swann encounter, matchmakers pitted Lawlor and his Team Filthy partner Simon Gotch against the high-flying duo.

Gotch and Swann opened the action with some classic grappling. Swann finally hit the first high-impact maneuver with a dropkick, before tagging in ACH. Lawlor found his way into the match and some solid striking gave him the advantage. Lawlor went to his seated, MMA-style tactics, but ACH stepped on one foot and then delivered a nasty dropkick to Lawlor’s jaw. Lawlor went back to the seated tactic and was able to turn it into a head scissors. When Gotch and Swann re-entered the match, a series of Swann dropkicks were answered by an arm bar from Gotch.

But all the trouble Team Filthy has been causing lately came back to haunt them in this matchup. With Lawlor on the outside of the ring, the Stud Stable’s Dirty Blondes showed up. Gotch joined his partner to face off with the Dirty Blondes. Both teams paid for it as ACH and Swann launched themselves into the four other men. Jake Hager, also a member of the Stud Stable, then showed up and attacked Lawlor before heading to the back as Col. Parker applauded.

With Lawlor laid out, a still groggy Gotch returned to the ring. He was the recipient of an ACH brainbuster and a Swann frog splash, as ACH and Swann picked up the pinfall victory.

Battle Riot Control CenterWith Battle Riot less than two weeks away, we met even more entrants to the huge matchup in New York City on this week’s episode. MJF, Leo Brien and Michael Patrick of the Stud Stable, Rey Fenix, Vandal Ortagun, Simon Gotch and AAA luchadores Aerostar and Drago have all entered the huge match.

In addition, MLW officials have announced a slew of other matches for the huge event in New York. World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland will face off with Sami Callihan at Battle Riot. The World Tag Team titles will also be on the line as Lucha Bros. Fenix and Pentagon Jr. will square off with Aerostar and Drago. Jimmy Havoc will meet Brody King and Pierre Carl Oullette will face off with MLW original Homicide.

Guevara Kicked to the Curb?
Earlier this week, Salina de la Renta posted a video to her Instagram account, which was shared on FUSION this week. In that video, de la Renta took a call from Sammy Guevara. The young wrestler lost a matchup to Fred Yehi on FUSION recently and de la Renta did not appreciate it. In the Instagram video, de la Renta was heard telling Guevara “it’s not working out … best of luck to you.”

Low Ki defeated Ricky Martinez
With his title fight against World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland on the horizon, Low Ki took to the ring for a tune-up bout and it was Ricky Martinez who got tuned up. Low Ki went on the attack from the opening bell, hitting a running knee and numerous huge strikes.

“The Professional” methodically destroyed Martinez, who was unable to even mount one offensive move in the matchup. Mercifully, Low Ki ended the carnage with a kick to the back of Martinez’s skull and pinned him using just a knee to make the cover. It was clear that Low Ki was sending a message to the champ and that message was delivered loud and clear.

But just in case, the actions in the ring didn’t speak loud enough, Low Ki gave an interview backstage and drove the point home. “The Professional” predicted “a public execution” when he gets in the ring with Strickland to claim de la Renta’s $60,000 bounty as well as championship gold.

Top 10 TimeLeague officials have released the MLW Top 10 for the month of July and things are heating up. Here’s a look at the new MLW Top 10:

“Filthy” Tom Lawlor is the No. 1-ranked wrestler in MLW for a second straight month. Will Lawlor parlay that ranking into a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity? Perhaps we’ll find out during the month of July.

Strickland Speaks
In an exclusive interview, World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland spoke about the pressures he faces as the top guy in MLW. He accused de la Renta of making her campaign against him personal, while she purports to be a businesswoman. Swerve also talked about having a target on his back and a price on his head. Strickland said Low Ki entering “Swerve’s House” July 12 in Orlando can only end one way … “with a Swerve Stomp through his damn chest.”

Sami Callihan defeated MVP in a Boiler Room BrawlThe feud between Sami Callihan and MVP came to an end in a Boiler Room Brawl. The matchup started in the boiler room of GILT Nightclub in Orlando. Callihan and MVP, lived up the name of the match and brawled. There was no technical wrestling at the beginning of this bout, it was quite simply a knock-down, drag-out fight.

MVP slammed a steel gate on Callihan twice and nailed the “Worldwide Desperado” with a steel bucket of some sort. Callihan managed to slam the steel gate on MVP and worked his way into other parts of the building, with MVP giving chase. As MVP stood over Callihan in a darkened hallway, Leon Scott — one of Callihan’s Death Machines – attacked, but was laid out by MVP.

The distraction gave Callihan’s other partner in crime, Fulton, an opportunity to join the fray. He held MVP while Callihan wailed away. But MVP kicked Callihan in the groin, then took Fulton out and chased down the “Worldwide Desperado” once again. As the two fought toward the arena, MVP swung a broomstick at Callihan and just barely missed what would have been a knockout blow.

But MVP caught him at ringside and choked Callihan with the broomstick. However, Callihan gouged MVP’s eyes and wrested the broomstick away. He used the broomstick and a chair to gain the advantage for the first time since the interference of his Death Machines downstairs. Callihan ran MVP head-first into a steel support structure in the arena, but then found himself whipped into a number of steel chairs in the MLW audience.

Callihan used a bottle and a trash can over MVP’s head before rolling him into the ring. Callihan nailed MVP with multiple chairshots in the gut and on the back. MVP hit Callihan with a Playmaker on the steel chair in the ring, but Callihan somehow kicked out at 2. Callihan responded with a pair of near falls of his own. Callihan went under the ring at that point and found his signature baseball bat. But MVP speared him and grabbed the bat. At that point, the Death Machines hit the ring. That distraction was enough for Callihan to get up and kick the man from South Florida south of the border.

The low blow led to Callihan grabbing the bat once again. He smashed MVP in the side of the face with the bat, then hit a Cranial Contusion. But MVP inexplicably kicked out. MVP showed his disdain for the Worldwide Desperado, spitting in his face. That only seemed to further anger Callihan, who once again took the bat to MVP’s skull. This time, it got the job done, giving Callihan the victory in the first Boiler Room Brawl in two decades.

Callihan and the Death Machines stood over a fallen MVP and gave their signature “Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!” before heading off to celebrate the hard-fought victory.

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